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Here's Why Eating Beans Gives You Gas

The dietary fibre in beans is the reason why you feel gastric after consuming beans.

By: DoctorNDTV |Updated: Mar 8, 2018 05:42 IST

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You can prevent gas causes by beans by soaking them for a few hours

HIGHLIGHTS

Consuming beans can lead to release of methane gas from the body

Eat beans with lots of vegetables to avoid gas

Throw the liquid of canned beans before cooking to avoid gas

Has it ever occurred that you feel unreasonably gastric after consuming beans? Well, it is the dietary fiber in beans that are to be blamed. Your digestive tract is unable to break down this fiber, and instead uses it for energy. This insoluble fibre forms 3 oligosaccharides: verbascose, stachyose, and raffinose. These oligosaccharides pass without being digested, through your mouth, stomach, small intestines and finally to large intestines. Since humans do not have the enzymes that can break down these sugars, consuming beans ends up in making you feel gastric and uneasy.

Why beans cause gas?

A lot of bacteria reside in large intestines because they are responsible for breaking down the molecules which our body cannot break otherwise. Large intestines also release the vitamins which are absorbed in the blood. These bacterial microbes also comprise enzymes that break oligosaccharide polymers into much less complex carbohydrates. Carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and nitrogen are the 3 gases released by these bacteria as part of a fermentation process. And 1/3rd of these bacteria can produce methane as well.

The amount of gas produced is directly proportional to the amount of fibre eaten in the form of beans. You will also feel an uneasy pressure caused by excess consumption. The pressure leads to farts when it becomes too much against the anal sphincter.

Here are some ways in which you can prevent gas by beans:

1. Always soak the beans for a few hours before you cook them

This will ensure that some of the fibre is washed away while rinsing the beans. Also, soaking them for several hours results in the fermentation process, in which the gases are releases before cooking. But after the soaking, the cooking needs to be done properly. Uncooked or raw beans can lead to food poisoning.

2. In case of canned beans, you can throw the liquid away and rinse the beans thoroughly before using them for cooking. This will prevent unnecessary gas after consuming beans.

3. You can combine beans with a lot of vegetables in order to avoid gas.